Injection molds such as plastic-injection molds are used in a wide variety of industries to produce a myriad of components. For example, plastic-injection molds are used in the automotive industry to produce trim components and fasteners, just to name a few.
Plastic-injection molds typically include a first mold half and a second mold half that cooperate to create a cavity when in a closed state. Specifically, when the first mold half and the second mold half are in contact with one another, the mold is in the closed state and a cavity is formed therebetween. The cavity defines the shape of the resulting component formed by the mold and may include an actuator disposed therein that aids in the formation of the resulting component as well as its ejection from the mold following formation.
The actuator may include a projection that is linearly movable between an extended state and a retracted state. When the projection is in the extended state, the projection may be used to form an aperture or recess in the resulting component by preventing resin from flowing in an area of the projection. Following formation of the aperture or recess, the projection may be moved into the retracted state to permit removal of the resulting component from the mold.
During operation, one or both of the first mold half and the second mold half are moved along an axis toward one another until the first mold half and the second mold half are in contact with one another. At this point, the mold is in the closed state and the cavity is formed. If the mold includes an actuator having a projection, the projection is moved linearly and along an axis into the extended state to allow the projection to cooperate with the cavity to define the shape of the resulting component formed by the mold.
A supply of resin is typically heated remotely from the mold to allow the resin to flow into the cavity formed between the first mold half and the second mold half. The resin may be transferred to the mold via an auger that forces the molten resin into the cavity under pressure. The molten resin flows into the cavity and around the projection, thereby filling the void and taking the shape of the cavity. Once the resin sufficiently cools, the first mold half and the second mold half are separated, the projection is linearly moved from the extended state to the retracted state, and the resulting component is ejected from the mold.
While conventional molds permit formation of a component having a desired net shape, such molds are restricted by linear actuators. Namely, conventional molds must provide sufficient clearance to allow the projection to move along a linear axis between the extended state and the retracted state. Accordingly, conventional molds cannot accommodate a component having a net shape that includes a portion formed along the linear axis of the projection, as such a portion would prevent the projection from moving between the extended state and the retracted state.